Wandenreich
The is a hidden empire of the Quincy. They are at war with Soul Society.Bleach manga; Chapter 488, page 11''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 490, pages 1 & 16 History The Vandenreich was somehow able to survive the Quincy massacre two hundred years ago and became strong enough to challenge Soul Society.Bleach manga; Chapter 488, page 12 Sometime after the defeat of Sōsuke Aizen, the Vandenreich conquered Hueco Mundo, capturing Tier Harribel in the process.Bleach manga; Chapter 485, pages 15-17 In addition, they conscripted numerous Arrancar into their service and killed many Hollows.Bleach manga; Chapter 486, page 10''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 480, page 3 Organization The organizational structure of the Vandenreich is not yet clear, but there is a central monarch based out of their headquarters.Bleach manga; Chapter 484, pages 16-17 In his service, there are a number of underlings who follow his direct orders. Stern Ritter A group of elite Quincy combatants known as the .Bleach manga; Chapter 489, pages 12-13Members of the Stern Ritter and certain other individuals within the Vandenreich military are apparently each assigned a letter of the alphabet and an appropriate epithet by Yhwach in order to designate them.Bleach manga; Chapter 500, page 15 Jagdarmee There is also a separate hunting unit called the of Hueco Mundo which in the wake of Hueco Mundo's conquest by the Vandenreich is entrusted with capturing Arrancar to serve the empire.Bleach manga; Chapter 486, pages 16-17 The Jagdarmee is separated into numbered groups with the leader of the first Jagdarmee, the , is Quilge Opie.Bleach manga; Chapter 487, page 10 Soldat The military is comprised from a large number of skilled .Bleach manga; Chapter 511, pages 14-16 Others The Vandenreich have forcefully drafted many strong Arrancar into their army, who are considered to be useful soldiers due to them not requiring prerequisite training, but are regarded as expendable, for Yhwach killed two of them once he deemed they had outlived their usefulness, and claiming that, having annexed Hueco Mundo, he can attain as many Arrancar as he wishes. There also exists a communication unit, which maintains the connection between headquarters and operational units. Headquarters The Vandenreich is based out of a large ice encrusted building. This building consists of a thick base with a long stairway leading up the front. On top of this are a series of thick columns supporting a thicker second tier of the building. There is a third tier above this, supported by thinner columns. Surrounding the main building are a number of ice covered round or square towers and two curved structures leaning towards each other, forming an arch-like monument at the front of the building.Bleach manga; Chapter 484, pages 12-13 Inside the building, Yhwach has a floating throne, behind it are a series of floating steps leading to a curtained doorway where the Espada Tier Harribel is kept prisoner. Housed somewhere in the place where the Vandenreich reside is a structure called the , which was used to invade Soul Society.Bleach manga; Chapter 490, page 1 Notable Members Uniforms The typical attire of most Vandenreich personnel consists of a long, white, double-breasted trench coat with shoulder straps and a white, button-down bib. This coat is bound at the waist with a black belt, which is further adorned with a decorative buckle, and is worn over both white trousers and trench boots. Many members also sport white hats with black peaks and a crest emblazoned on its front, which is reminiscent of the five-pointed variant of the Quincy cross. This insignia is also reflected upon the buttons of their other apparel.Bleach manga; Chapter 486, page 17 Some higher-ranking members pair this uniform with other additional pieces of clothing, such as capes or cloaks, to distinguish themselves.Bleach manga; Chapter 487, page 11 The Stern Ritter wear a distinctive white, ankle-length cloak over their uniform that features the Vandenreich insignia emblazoned on its back and often, a hood attached to the cloak's collar.Bleach manga; Chapter 490, page 2 Apart from the standard uniform, a Soldat's attire consists of a military beret, black goggles with white lenses and a gas mask that obscures their entire face, as well as a short, collared cloak. In certain instances, personnel have been observed wearing a simplified version of the usual Vandenreich uniform, which lacks the normal button-down bib and belt.Bleach manga; Chapter 486, pages 15-16 Those who took part in the declaration of war upon Soul Society sported this specific variation, as well as a hooded cape that featured a black mask in order to obscure their face and a black band diagonally encircling their body.Bleach manga; Chapter 484, page 14 Vandenreich Equipment Medallion: A number of those within the Vandenreich military, including all members of the Stern Ritter, carry on their person a round, unnamed device that is roughly the size of a person's palm and has the Vandenreich insignia etched into its surface. When activated, this device is capable of stealing a single currently released Bankai in the immediate vicinity.Bleach manga; Chapter 496, pages 14-17 According to Yhwach the ability to steal a Shinigami's Bankai depends on the level of the medallion wielders Reiryoku.Bleach manga; Chapter 510, page 11 Once stolen, the medallion's owner can then proceed to use the taken Bankai's power at will,Bleach manga; Chapter 501, pages 15-17 even after the original owner's death.Bleach manga; Chapter 503, page 17 However, they appear unable to exploit this power fully, as according to what Yamamoto experienced, Driscoll Berci's use of Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū was noticeably inferior to that of its true owner, Chōjirō Sasakibe.Bleach manga; Chapter 504, pages 15-16 In Asguiaro Ebern's case, using the medallion to steal a Bankai requires him to chant out the incantation to activate it,Bleach manga; Chapter 483, pages 10-15 but the Stern Ritter, Quilge Opie, and Yhwach can bypass the incantation.Bleach manga; Chapter 496, pages 14-17''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 498, pages 6-8''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 510, page 11 The incantation Ebern used is: German= "Aufreide. Meer eh wolken, wolken eh regen, regen eh nebel. Sieht balle eh um sieht ballen. Wir gut freude, Danach Vrund Dill Becher!!!" |-| English= "Melt. Sea to cloud, cloud to rain, rain to fog. That with shape to that which is unseen. After our jubilation, the chalice will be turned face down!!!" |-| Kanji= 「溶けよ」 海よ雲へ 雲よ雨へ 雨よ霧へ 姿成すものよ 見えざるものへ 我等歓喜の末に 杯を地に伏せる さあ!!! |-| Romaji= 「Toke yo」Umi yo kumo e Kumo yo ame e Sugata nasu mono yo Miezaru mono e Warera kanki no sue ni Hai o ji ni fuseru Sā!!! Terminology * : A word used to define the exhaustive data collected by the Vandenreich on the opposition's forces, which has been distributed to all essential personnel.Bleach manga; Chapter 489, page 7 Parts of this intelligence include details on those considered to be "Special War Powers" and those in possession of Bankai.Bleach manga; Chapter 502, page 12 * : This term is used to describe the process that the Vandenreich uses to steal Bankai.Bleach manga; Chapter 498, page 10 Special War Powers In their war with Soul Society, the Vandenreich have placed particular emphasis on five so called , who they believe will play a pivotal role in deciding the ultimate outcome of the war itself. Such is the importance of these powers that the temporary detainment of just one, prompted the Vandenreich to begin the invasion of Soul Society due simply to their guaranteed absence. Sōsuke Aizen was asked to join the Vandenreich as one of the special war powers, but he turned down the offer.Bleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 9-10 Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was not considered to be a special war power because Yhwach considered him weak compared to 1000 years ago.Bleach manga; Chapter 511, page 9 Those known to be classified as the "Special War Powers" are: *1 - Kenpachi ZarakiBleach manga; Chapter 505, page 15 *? - Ichigo KurosakiBleach manga; Chapter 489, page 7 *? - Aizen SosukeBleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 9-10 References Navigation Category:Organizations Category:World of Bleach Category:Quincy Category:Vandenreich